Farhad Moshiri (Iranian, b. 1963)

'I had picked as a subject matter an object that was the first man had made and here I was, thousands of years later, doing the same thing again, despite every revolution, all the changes that had happened.' (Farhad Moshiri quoted in W. Singh-Bartlett, "Farhad Moshiri When Ancient becomes Modern", in Canvas magazine, vol. I, no. 5, September/October 2005, pp. 76-79).

Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2010. With his depictions of Jars, the Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri reveals his fascination with archaeology and Iranian popular culture. Ceramics have had a distinguished history in Iran and they originate from its distant pre-historic past. From the fragmentary remains at Susa, almost 6000 years ago, to Sassanian vessels just pre-dating Islam, to the technically advanced wares of 13th century Seljuq potters and 17th century Safavids, Moshiri's inspiration ranges from glorifying his homeland's Golden Age to a satire of Iran's obsession with Western and modern culture.

His signature technique of folding and crushing the canvas, thus flaking the paint, reveals his continuous need to express the celebrated past of Iran. The heavily apparent crackles are a mimic of his ongoing fascination with archeology and evoke his sentiment of nostalgia. In the present work, the crackles are strong, the shadow and light are different from one side of the jar to the other, allowing the painting to have a soothing yet bold feel.

One of Moshiri's finest Jars, the work alludes to traditional Iranian culture and aesthetics and simultaneously hints to the Western consumerist and globalised culture.